Elevating means for hovers



Feb. 12 1924.

H. F. SCHULTZ ELEVATING MEANS FOR HOVERS Filed April 19. 1923 Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

HENRY F. SCHULTZ, OF FAIRMONT, MINNESOTA.

sic

ELEVATING- MEANS FOR novnns.

Application filed April 19, 1923. Serial No. 638 2 25.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. SCHULTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at F airmont, in the county of Martin and tate of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevati ng Means for Hovers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in animal husbanding devices, havin for an object to provide'a novel form 0 device for elevating or raising chicken hovers with relation to the heater employed in connection therewith, whereby access may be had, as required, to the heater, means being provided for effectually guiding the hover during raising or lowering of the same, such means also serving to support the elevating mechanism. 1

Other objects will be in part obvious and art pointed out hereinafter.

11 order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawings, and in the detailed following description based thereon, set out one possible embodiment of the same. a

In these drawings: t

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device, a portion thereof being broken away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction in which the arrow points; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail in elevation showing the means for retaining the hover in a vertically adjusted position.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, it may be stated for purposes of explanation that my invention is adapted to be used in connection with those forms of chicken hovers consisting of substantially frustro-conical shields or covers, indicated herein by the numeral 1, the same constituting the hover and being adapted to be engaged over a suitable heater 2, utilizing charcoal, coal,

or other fuel, such as conditions or preference may dictate.

A top 3 is provided the hover 1 and has a flue receiving opening formed therein 4, while a fuel receiving opening is also formed in the same and is adapted to be normally closed by means of a cover plate or lid 5, thus, facilitating the feeding of fuelto the heating stove; a damper 6 of suitable arrangement and construction being also arranged adjacent the opening in'said top for obvious purposes.

F ixedly engaged with the top of the stove 2 at substantially diametrically opposite points are uprights 7, consisting of lengths of piping having the lower ends thereof screw threaded as at 8 and turned into engagement with suitable. screw threaded openings formed in said top. Bearings are formed in the upper ends of these uprights and serve to rotatably support therein a horizontally disposed shaft 9, having a crank handle 10 fixedly mounted upon the extended end thereof, as shown in the Figure 1. Cotter pins 11 or other suitable stop devices are engaged with those portions of the horizontal shaft 9 adjacent the outer side of the several uprights 7 and as will be understood, serve as means for effectually preventing lateral shifting or movemeint of the shaft with respect to its particular bearings. A sprocket wheel or Windlass 12 is fixedly mounted upon that portion of the shaft 9 intermediate of the several uprights 7 and has one endof a sprocketchain 13 connected thereto, the opposite end of said chain being engaged with the hover 1 in the man ner to be presently described. In this connection, it is to be noted that with rotation of the shaft 9, in one direction, the sprocket chain 13 will be caused to be engaged thereover, with its various teeth and in consequence, that the free end of said chain will be moved upwardly. With reverse rotation of the shaft 9, the free ends of the chain, of course, will be lowered.

With a view towards providing means for v efi'ecting connection between the free end of the sprocket chain 13 and the hover 1, I provide a substantially U-shaped sheet metal bracket designated by the numeral 14, said bracket having obliquely disposed feet 15 formed upon its opposite extremities adapted to be engaged with adjacent portions of the hover 1 and secured thereto i an eye-bolt 17. Thus, with rotation through the medium of rivets, or other suitable fastening devices 16; the central portion of said hover having an opening therein for permitting the circulation of air therethrough and likewise, to permit the passage of the uprights 7 therethrough. lit is to be also noted that the uprights 7 slidably receive the upper portion of the U-shaped bracket 14:, suitable openings being formed in said portion of the bracket through which the uprights are engaged.

The free end of the chain 13-has connection with the intermediate portion of the U-shaped bracket 1a through the medium of of the shaft 9 carrying the sprocket wheel 12, the hover 1 may be either raised or lowered, as desired, with respect to the heating device or stove 2.

Means for retaining the hover 1 in a ver tically adjusted position are provided the device in form of a ratchet wheel 18, fixedly mounted upon the shaft 9 in proximity to one of the uprights 7 and adapted to be engaged by the free end of a pawl 19 pivotally mounted upon the inner side of said uprights 7 Thus, rotation of the shaft 9 in one direction will be permitted, the pawl riding idly over the teeth of the ratchet, but

rotation of the shaftin an opposite direction without first disengaging the pawl from the teeth of the ratchet will be prevented and in consequence, the hover 1 will be releasably secured in its particularly vertically adjusted position.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that I have provided a simple but efficient form of elevating means for hovers, whereby the hover may be raised or lowered as may be required andlikewise, in order that access may be had to the heating device or stove 2 at such times. Also, it is to be noted that the uprights 7 not only serve as effectual guide means for the hover 1 during its raising or lowering movement, but also, that they serve as effectual supports tor the sprocket wheel or windlass 12 carried upon the horizontally positioned shaft 9.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, 1 consider within the spirit of my invention.

1 claim 1. A device of the character described comprising in combination with a heater and a hover engaged thereover, uprights supported upon the top of said heater, a windlass rotatably supported upon the upper ends oi? said uprights, a substantially U-shaped bracket engaged with the upper portion of said hover and having openings therein slid ably engaged with said uprights, and connecting means between said bracket and said Windlass.

2. A device of the character described comprising in combination with a heater and a hover engaged thereover having a central opening in the same, oppositely disposed uprights fixedly secured at their lower ends to the top of said heater and passing through the opening in said hover, a horizontally positioned shaft rotatably supported in bearings upon the upperzendsof said uprights, a crank handle secured to one end of said shaft, a sprocket wheel fixedly mounted on that portion of the shaft intermediate of said uprights, a. sprocket chain engaged at one end to Said sprocket wheel, and a substantially U-shaped bracket connected to the upper side of said hover and extending over the central opening therein having spaced openings therein for slidably receiving said uprights therethrough, the

free end of said sprocket chain having connection with the intermediate portion of said bracket.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY F. SCHULTZ, 

